Respite
by SpeedForceSpeedster
Summary: Finally relieved of fighting mannequins, Bartz, Squall and Zidane rest themselves. But one member of the group is finding it especially hard to fall asleep. One-shot for now.


**As a FF fan I was over the moon when they introduced Dissidia, just knowing that I'd have the chance to play as my favourite FF characters Squall and Bartz again ( Firion too :3). So when it came out and they were actually grouped together I practically exploded. They were the first characters I got to level 100 lol. This chapter is just something typed on a whim while I wondered whether the people from their respective worlds were searching for them and stuff. Enjoy.**

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It was an unnaturally peaceful night and for once the setting of the sun had not been accompanied by the emergence of enemies. Thankfully the bright moon and the glittering stars were the only things to make an appearance. It was a cold night, not uncommon in that particular area, and the stones glittered slightly as a small layer of frost settled on top of them. The middle of a wide canyon, a rocky cliff side on either side and not much to see for miles in every direction, served as their camp that particular night. Not the warmest of choices perhaps, but at that point in their travels a resting period was crucial. Too weary to care, they settled down anywhere that suited them.

A small campfire burned admirably on the rocky ground in their temporary camp, seemingly unfazed by the odd spurt of wind that occasionally attacked it. Snuggled up before the fire, soaking up its warmth were two still figures. The crackling of the fire was accompanied with the snoring of the young man to its left. His tail wrapped around his body to add a tiny amount of warmth, Zidane Tribal was undoubtedly and rather incredibly fast asleep. It was the first night off the team had seen in a number of days and he was not in the slightest bit reluctant to put it to good use even though it was far from a warm night. Another young man lay opposite him, his eyes wide open, gazing silently at the stars above. In contrast to his companion _he_ seemed wide awake, with no intention of falling asleep any time soon. He'd wrapped his thin cape around his body to keep himself warm, obviously feeling the cold, but made no move to get closer to the warmth of the fire. His companion on the other hand was almost dangerously close.

Bartz Klauser _wanted_ to sleep, had been trying for hours ever since his night-watch ended, but for some reason he couldn't. He'd closed his eyes, tried counting sheep, and even tried counting Exdeath's at some point due to boredom, but just couldn't drift off. More than once he wished that he had Zidane's ability to fall asleep in a millisecond.

His gentle brown eyes left the stars as he moved his head to look to his right. He saw Squall's outline in the distance seated on a large rock. He'd imagine that Squall's hand had a keen grip on his gun blade, ready to fire at any given moment if an enemy were to present themselves. It made him feel safe, knowing that Squall was so diligent, that he at least wouldn't fall asleep on watch duty like a certain tailed individual. Even though they were complete opposites personality wise Bartz couldn't help but like the serious young man, at times he reminded him of someone, someone that stayed on the edge of his memory, just out of his reach. But he was a nice counterbalance to their mostly refreshing group just the same. He was necessary to keep them on the right track. The straight-man in their trio.

Bartz finally gave up on trying to fall asleep, realising that he couldn't silence his loud thoughts, and sat up with a sigh. If he wasn't going to sleep he could at least keep Squall company. Even though he liked being on his own it wouldn't kill him to have someone to talk to. Bartz rose quietly to his feet clutching his cape, careful not to make too much noise in case he woke Zidane. He checked just to make sure that standing up hadn't instinctively woken him and when he saw that it hadn't he began treading away softly a little worried about how carefree the other young man was while asleep. Bartz moved a few paces then turned back having thought of something. He approached Zidane's sleeping figure and tossed his cape over him gently. Seeing as he wasn't going to be using it as a makeshift blanket he might as well give it to someone who could use the extra warmth. He saw Zidane twist himself into the cape, seeking the warmth, grinned to himself and started walking towards Squall's lookout.

His every step resulted in a barely audible crunch as he walked over the stony terrain. Any other person would have significantly louder footsteps but Bartz had always had a light tread. As he moved forward, Squall's tall silhouette edging nearer and nearer, he felt the satisfaction that he always felt with moving about. He was glad that he was moving again. He never liked to stay still for long period's of time, preferred to keep in motion, to feel the air brush gently against his face as he moved onward.

When he eventually reached Squall he was so still he seemed like a statue, he barely looked like he was breathing. As he was viewing him from the back Bartz couldn't even tell if he was sleeping or not. Doubtful but possible. For a moment Squall's stillness scared him, he had never known a living person to be that still. His back didn't even rise and fall as he breathed, his body was entirely still. Bartz felt himself start to panic, a sudden agitation taking hold of him. He impulsively placed a hand on his team-mate's shoulder and was surprised when Squall turned around sharply and pointed his gunblade directly at his face. Bartz's hands flew up in defence, as though they alone could stop any flying bullets that would come his way. When he spoke his voice came out in a panicked cry.

"Whoa! Whoa! Don't shoot Squall! It's me, Bartz!"

Squall, realising that it was indeed Bartz quickly lowered his gun blade but stayed alert as precaution. But the furious expression on his face was far more terrifying than any weapon. Bartz could feel the shout coming before it had even escaped from Squall's mouth.

"Damn it Bartz! I could have shot you. What the hell were you thinking?"

Without fail, a lecture from Squall could immediately make him feel like a child being scolded by a parent, even though he _was_ older than the other man. He knew that it was his fault, that he shouldn't have surprised Squall like that but he had wanted to make sure…

He grinned sheepishly and moved cautiously to sit down beside Squall, aware that the vigilant man would probably still be suspicious of him. Bartz hugged his legs to his chest, finally feeling the cold. _When I get back to my world I'll have to seriously consider a change of outfit, _he thought to himself jokily. He felt Squall's angry glare hit the side of his head and sighed wearily.

"I'm sorry ok. I didn't mean to surprise you like that. I was just scared that you were…"

He stopped mid sentence, with no intent of finishing but Squall had taken note of his hesitance.

"Scared that I was what?"

Bartz turned his head to face his companion. He didn't want to finish the sentence, didn't want Squall to know about his little weakness. Squall saw the reluctance on Bartz's face. He didn't want to press. If Bartz didn't want to go there then Squall wouldn't force him to. It was none of his business anyway.

"If you don't want to talk about it that's fine. I don't really care all that much. Just don't sneak up on me like that again. Next time I can't guarantee that you won't come out of it without some extra holes in your face."

Bartz's laugh echoed out of nowhere and Squall gave a slight smile as he gathered that his friend had actually cheered up in a split second. Bartz being morose was just plain weird, him with a smile on his face was far more comfortable ground.

"Well Squall, to be honest, I didn't think you'd be so easy to sneak up on. I reckon you're getting too complacent," Bartz joked.

Even though he could barely see in the darkness he didn't need light to know that Squall was probably smirking slightly. He rarely laughed out loud, but he _would_ smile at a joke, he did have some kind of sense of humour after all despite his serious mind-set.

"Shut up. Even though you're such a loudmouth you move around like the wind. Or maybe I just can't sense you because you don't seem like a threat."

Bartz chuckled once more, recognizing the friendly banter that was so rare from Squall.

"Hmm. Well as I gathered it…I could have easily taken you right there if I hadn't touched your shoulder. One quick hit and BAM! You'd be out like a light, as conscious as Zidane is right now. Snoring away without a care in the world"

"One hit huh? Care to test out your theory?"

Bartz didn't answer for a few seconds, as though he were really considering it. A smile tugged at his lips as he answered.

"I think I'll take a rein check on that tonight. Save it for people who deserve my iron fists."

Squall gave a chuckle. Bartz's attempts at humour had actually calmed _him_ down, and what's more he was actually responding with jokes of his own. If the others could see him now, joking around so carefree…

Their banter was closely followed by a companionable silence that stretched on for a while, with neither warrior saying a word. Bartz gazed up at the stars above while Squall sharpened his gun-blade with an almost tender manner. Minutes passed where the only sound made was the scraping of stone against blade but surprisingly it was Squall who eventually broke the silence.

"Couldn't sleep huh?"

Bartz said nothing for a few seconds. Squall continued sharpening his blade and waited patiently. Bartz looked across to his companion and gave a smile that did not entirely reach his eyes. He sighed unenthusiastically and laid himself back on the rocky surface, hands behind his head, as Squall surveyed from above.

"Nope. Cant seem to stop thinking about stuff," he answered vaguely.

"What kind of stuff?"

Bartz was surprised that Squall seemed to be taking an interest. He had always struck Bartz as a guy who was indifferent to this kind of thing, someone who would be hesitant to listen to other people's problems. He smiled despite himself, noting how his impression of Squall had changed drastically within a couple of days and found himself wondering whether it was his and Zidane's influence that had caused the change. Or maybe he was just over thinking things.

Bartz gave up, figuring that he might as well share his worries with someone.

"Well I was kind of wondering whether someone in my world misses me. I cant really remember anything about where I came from but I thought that just maybe someone out there has noticed that I'm gone. It actually scares me a bit…I mean, what if there's no one waiting for me when I go back? …_If _I go back. I'm nervous you know. I'm probably not as strong as you, Cloud, Firion or the others…heck even Zidane is probably stronger than me. And this upcoming fight with Chaos…there's a lot riding on it. We could lose so much if we don't win. I don't want to just disappear and never see anyone again…"

Bartz could almost touch the accompanying silence to his words. He felt angry with himself. He had sounded like a complete child, whining about this and that. He stayed silent and so did Squall for a while. And then he spoke. His tone was unusually soft, as though he was talking to something delicate.

"It seems like you thought about a lot of things while you couldn't sleep huh? But as far as I can tell, you don't need to worry so much. We won't lose. _You_ won't lose. You've beaten Exdeath before, not to mention all the opponents you've faced just to get to this point, right? So that's proof enough that you're strong. Every single person on our side is strong, _including_ you. Sure, some of us are stronger than others, or quicker…or just plain louder than others, but I think you bring another special kind of strength into the group, something that only you can bring. Cosmos wouldn't bring you here if she didn't think you could hack it. You proved that you were worthy of her mission as soon as you got your crystal. All of us were chosen for a reason. _All_ of us. As for the other thing, I wouldn't worry so much….knowing you I'd bet you have a load of friends where you come from".

Squall gave a small cough as he finished talking, seemingly embarrassed of his words and when Bartz, aided by a small amount of light from the moon, happened to look at his companions face it seemed almost as though he were blushing ever so slightly. It was a surprising reaction for Squall to have and Bartz felt incredibly fortunate to have captured a glimpse of something so rare. He would have to brag to Zidane about it when he woke. But even without seeing Squall's shy face Bartz would have felt better, Squall's words had gotten through to him. Squall could certainly seem indifferent, like he didn't care about others, but Bartz knew that he was kind in his own awkward way. Bartz smiled to himself, feeling glad that he had come to talk to his comrade.

"Yeah, thanks Squall. You're surprisingly good at pep talks huh? I wouldn't have expected that side of you. So what about you Squall? Do you think about the other side? About family? Friends? I bet you had tons of friends…you have this weird way of drawing people in. Like a special Squall pheromone "

Squall turned to look at Bartz, a sour expression on his face. Bartz resisted the urge to laugh and concentrated on keeping a straight face. Squall eventually answered.

"I cant be sure about the number, but I think I have someone. This scar too…it reminds me…"

"Of an enemy?"

"I don't think so…but it does make me feel mad for some reason. Makes my blood boil…"

"Hmm. Maybe a rival or something? And family? Ever thought about your family?"

Squall didn't respond immediately as he had done before. Bartz searched his face, looking for any kind of sign as to why he seemed so reluctant to answer but Squall gave nothing away. Bartz resigned himself to patiently waiting for his friends response. Squall's eventual response was awkward, his usually stern tone uncertain.

"…I cant be sure… This mannequin I see sometimes…no, forget it."

Bartz could hear the slight reluctance in Squall's delivery and didn't push any further. It was obviously a tough subject for the young man so Bartz decided to casually change the subject.

"Thought you might have a cute older sister or something running around…and now I'm starting to sound like Zidane."

"…What about you Bartz?

"Hmm, well I cant totally remember everything…but I think I had a father. But when I try to think about him, remember his face I get these pangs…like I'm really sad. You know, I can never recall his face when I try to picture him, there's just this really intense white light blocking him from view. Heh, maybe he was a warrior of light too!"

Squall gave a slight chuckle.

"Like father like son huh?"

"Yeah…Squall?"

Squall noticed the sombre tone to Bartz's words and felt slightly reluctant to respond. After seeing a matching solemn look on Bartz's face he gave in and answered, hoping that in the process Bartz's mood would lift.

"What is it?"

"I think that in my world he's already gone…"

Squall was unsure what to say. He wasn't particularly good in social situations and he certainly hadn't been expecting their conversation to end up on this particular path. Unfamiliar with the comforting process he went with the first thing that came to mind.

"How do you figure?"

"When I put my hand on your shoulder earlier, I was scared since you were so still. It made me think about him... my dad. It probably scared me because I saw him still like that or something. When I saw you motionless like that I thought you were dead for a second… crazy huh? I must have seen him pass away. Sorry, I'm getting really depressing here huh? You must think I'm a whiny guy."

"Not really. There's a lot more to you than meets the eye huh? You aren't just the dopey guy I thought you were when we first met. But I guess everyone has a side they want to keep hidden. I doubt people will think you're weak for having a little baggage, I think every one of us has. I think that being able to share a weakness with other people is just another kind of strength. In that regard I figure you're stronger than a lot of us."

Bartz's sudden smile was wide. He couldn't help himself from smiling. Squall was complimenting him so why wouldn't he.

"Thanks Squall"

"What for?"

"Well for listening I guess, and for cheering me up."

"Sure. If you think it helped."

"It did."

Squall coughed once more, hiding his embarrassment. He wasn't sure if he should say anything to respond. Just as he was about to talk Bartz sat up suddenly and placed his back against Squall's.

"What are you.."

"Simple. You keep watch for enemies in that direction and I'll do the same over here. No one's surprising us tonight!"

Unable to muster the strength to argue with Bartz Squall gave a sigh and resigned himself to the situation. He could feel Bartz's slender back on his and as Bartz shivered from a cold wind that passed by Squall felt every sensation through his leather jacket. As the minutes passed and Bartz shivered another three times Squall eventually felt the need to comment.

"If you're cold don't you think you should get back to the fire."

He received no answer.

"Bartz? Hey!".

Turning quickly to find out why his companion was so unnaturally quiet Squall was surprised when Bartz fell backwards onto his lap. Fast asleep.

Bartz snored quietly on Squall's legs while their owner looked onward completely at a loss for what to do. Squall brushed fine fingers through his brown hair and sighed as he looked at Bartz's peaceful sleeping face.

"This is all that damn feathers fault…."

**Is it just me or is Squall a bit OOC lol? Oh well. I may or may not write a Dissidia series with these two one day. For me these three had the most developed friendship in the game and had the most interesting story. Firion and Lightning's relationship was quite interesting in Duodecim too weirdly adorable pairing. Laguna and Cloud of Darkness also seemed to have quite a thing goin' on lol. Bow chika wow wow. Ah~ I love FF Dissidia.**


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